A search for suspects who made off with an ATM machine Thursday morning from RiverHills Bank on U.S. 61 North has expanded to include federal and state investigators.
Officials with the FBI and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation joined the investigation on Friday, Sheriff Martin Pace said.
Suspects used stolen forklifts to pilfer the machine there and at neighboring BancorpSouth around dawn Thursday. The machine from BancorpSouth was found in the bed of a pickup parked on the side of the road less than a mile from the two banks. The pickup was reported stolen Wednesday in Clinton. Deputies had responded to an alarm at BancorpSouth at 5:33 a.m. after working an alarm call at Beechwood Elementary less than an hour earlier where a window was broken by a rock. Pace has said investigators have not ruled out the school incident as a diversion by the ATM thieves.
Investigators are searching for a dark, 1990s model GMC pickup seen on security video leaving the bank. No suspect description has been released.
Anyone who suspects they saw parts of the theft in progress may call the sheriff’s department at 601-636-1761 or Central Mississippi Crime Stoppers at 601-355-8477.
Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of a felony suspect. Callers remain anonymous and do not have to testify in court.

Welding gear thieves arrested, released
A pair of men were released Friday from Warren County Jail on commercial burglary charges.
Charles Fowler, 23, 4407 Halls Ferry Road, and Timothy Williams, 23, 113A Thornhill Drive, were arrested Thursday afternoon after H&H Maintenance Services, 4407-C Halls Ferry Road, reported welding leads, welding machines and copper missing, Vicksburg Deputy Police Chief Bobby Stewart said.
The stolen gear was found at Williams’ residence on Thornhill, off U.S. 80, Stewart said.
Both were released on $5,000 bond.

City man with stolen gun released
A Vicksburg man was released Friday from Warren County Jail after he was found to be firing a stolen gun.
Adrian Dale Smith, 18, 2502 Ken Karyl Ave., was arrested at 8:03 p.m. Thursday and charged with possession of a stolen firearm after reports of shots fired near Military Avenue and Dot Street, Vicksburg Deputy Police Chief Bobby Stewart said.
Smith was released on $5,000 bond.

Auto burglary suspect held for Rankin Co.
A Hattiesburg man was held for Rankin County on an auto burglary charge, jail records show.
Jack Waters, 55, was arrested at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Vicksburg Police Department, booking records show. His address was listed as 2412 Weeping Willow St., in Hatiesburg.
Bond was set at $50,000.